I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for managing electrical power requirements between at least two different power grids as a function of received data from electrically powered vehicles which transmit information to a base station indicative of the state of charge of the battery within the vehicles.
II. Description of Material Art
Electrically powered automotive vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, are powered at least in part by an electric motor. Such electric vehicles have enjoyed increased popularity due in large part to their economical operation and are expected to further increase in popularity in the future.
Most electric vehicles derive their electric power from a battery contained on the vehicle. The amount of electrical power that can be stored within any given battery of the vehicle is finite so that the battery must he periodically recharged in order to enable continued operation of the electric vehicle. The amount of electrical power remaining within the battery is known as the “state of charge” of the battery.
As the number of electric vehicles in operation continues to increase, the electrical power requirements necessary to recharge the batteries will likewise increase to the extent that, unless properly managed, such power requirements may overload the power grid utilized to recharge the battery.
In most developed nations, electrical power distribution is divided into numerous local power grids wherein each local power grid provides the electrical power for a predetermined geographic area. For example, one power grid may cover a primarily residential area whereas the adjacent power grid covers an area that is primarily industrial. Furthermore, since it is anticipated that electric vehicles will be recharged at the home of the vehicle owner, the electrical power requirements of the power grid covering the residential area may increase substantially beginning about 5:00 p.m. when the electric vehicle owners return home and begin charging their electric vehicle. Conversely, the power requirements for the power grid covering the primarily industrial area may decrease due to the cessation of the industrial operation after 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.
In order to obtain the most efficient and cost-effective operation of the overall electrical power distribution system, it would be advantageous to anticipate and redistribute the overall available electrical power to the various different geographic power grids in anticipation of the power requirements of that particular power grid especially to accommodate electric vehicles.